Ernie was known at all of his clubs (and outside) for having a great sense of humour, always joking and laughing. It is a great shame that, in spite of his move to Everton to play with other England players Alf Ramsey never rewarded him with a full England cap. Ernie also tells us he was the first team hairdresser too! That shows some bravery on Wolves players part!
Now, Ernie’s story is told, warts and all, in “Joker in the Pack” written by Chris Wescott and published by Tempus Publishing, The Mill Brimscombe Port Stroud Gloucestershire GL5 2QG and can be ordered directly from them -link to Tempus Website
Ernie earned worldwide fame with a great free kick teed up by Willie Carr when they both played for Coventry - that story follows together with a short video.
Ernie profile from 40th Anniversary page
“Ernie” Roger Hunt scored the goal in my first match at Molineux - a 1-1 draw against Saints in March 1966. Ernie joined Wolves from Swindon where he’d started 10 years earlier and was due in fact to debut at the Dell but the manager (Andy Beattie) resigned that day so he sat and watched us go down 9-3. Once he got on the pitch though things improved and he had a terrific record as an inside forward with 35 goals in 82 appearances - an even better rate than today’s Frank Lampard! Ernie is also famous world wide for the “donkey kick” with Willie Carr when they both played for Coventry (after a short spell at Everton from September 1967 he went to the Sky Blues in March 1968). Ernie also scored the winner in the London Wolves’ first official match (see 40th event). Ernie also won 3 under-23 England caps.
There were ten minutes to go and the Sky Blues, who were leading the champions (Everton) 2-1, were awarded a free kick in a central position on the edge of the penalty area. While the four-man defensive wall fidgeted nervously, Carr stood over the ball, pincered it between his heels, and flicked it up. As it fell Hunt, lurking behind him, executed a perfect right-foot dipping volley over the wall and into the top corner of Andy Rankin's goal.
The Everton defence stood open-mouthed; the crowd gasped, then went wild. momentarily unsure whether the stunt contravened the laws,Tommy Dawes, the referee, decided it did not and pointed to the centre spot. The Match of the Day cameras captured it all - and ensured its place in folklore - and the outrageous moment was voted goal of the month and goal of the season.
With his swarthy looks and droopy moustache, Hunt looked like a refugee from Zapata's Army, but for almost five seasons the West Country man with the bandy legs entertained the Coventry fans with his skills and personality, always seeing the funny side of the game. His memory of the moment that guaranteed him recognition to a whole generation of fans is vivid.
"At half-time the manager, Noel Cantwell, wanted to know why we hadn't attempted it in the first half when we got a free kick in a good position," he said. "I told him I wanted to wait until the kick was in the dead centre. When the chance came in the second half I was contemplating slipping it through Willie's legs for Dave Clements to blast it but decided to give the donkey kick a crack and gave the sign - the rest is history."
Swindon Town’s biography of Ernie - www.swindon-town-fc.co.uk
SWINDON TOWN, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Everton, Coventry City, Doncaster Rovers, Bristol City. - Real name Roger, "Young Ernie" gained his nickname from his father, whose name was Ernest. Hunt was one of "Bert's Babes" - one of the many players who came up through the youth ranks under the guidance of Bert Head.
A hustling, well-built inside-forward, Hunt was a goalscoring sensation. Making his debut early in the 1959/1960 season, he became the club's youngest ever player, at 16 years and 182 days - a record he held until 1980. He went on to gain England under-23 honours, and was the top scorer for the Town in four consecutive seasons, between 1961 and 1964. He also scored Swindon's first ever goal in Division Two - sixteen minutes into a 3-0 win over Scunthorpe, on August 24, 1963.
Recurring bouts of tonsilitis kept Hunt out of the side for periods during 1963 and 1964, and Hunt lost his form, and with it his international place. Just as he looked set to reclaim it during the 1964/1965 season, he was back in hospital with appendicitis. On his return, the Town were in the midst of a relegation scrap. Disaster struck again on 23rd March 1965, when Hunt broke a bone in his foot. When the plaster was taken off on 14th April, the relegation situation was dire, and Hunt was rushed back to action within three days. It looked to be a masterstroke, when Hunt scored within five minutes, but triumph turned to tragedy in the second half when he limped off again, his foot broken in the same place.
In total, Swindon had to make do without their star striker for six of the last seven games that season and they failed to win any of the matches. Amazingly, the Football League allowed fellow relegation candidates Portsmouth to play on the evening of the last day of the season, after the Town's game had finished. Knowing they only needed a point to stay up, Portsmouth drew 1-1 away to already promoted Northampton, and Swindon were relegated to Division Three. Town manager Bert Head claimed that, without illness and injury to the Town's "best young player", the club wouldn't have had any relegation worries at all.
Hunt made just a few appearances in Division Three the following season, his goalscoring exploits had already alerted the bigger clubs, and he was transferred to Wolves - becoming a major part of the team which won promotion to Division One. He also gained fame on Match of the Day after a move to Coventry, for a famous two-footed free kick, which has been replayed on many occasions since, and has since been outlawed.
At the WOLVES And then on the thewolvessite.co.uk
Ernie Hunt was working for British Rail when Swindon Town manager Bert Head signed him as an amateur in 1957. With the Wiltshire club, Hunt, whose real first name is Roger, won three England Under-23 caps and scored 82 goals in 214 league games before signing for Wolves in September 1965. He should have made his debut at Southampton but he decided that he wasn't fully match fit and watched from the stands as the Saints won 9-3! He did make his debut in the next match, creating goals for Knowles, Wagstaffe and Wharton in a 3-0 home win over Bury. The following season he helped Wolves win promotionto the 1st Division, top-scoring with 20 goals in 37 games including a hat-trick in a 4-0 win at Northampton Town. Hunt, who had an excellent scoring record for a midfielder, had found the net 35 times in 82 outings for Wolves before joining Everton for £80,000. Unable to settle at Goodison Park, he signed for Coventry City where he teamed up with a Wolves player of the future in Willie Carr (above). The two of them perfected the infamous 'Donkey-kick' which resulted in a spectacular goal on Match of the Day. Hunt scored 45 goals in 146 league games for the Sky Blues before a loan spell with Doncaster Rovers. He ended his career with Bristol City in 1975 and became Licensee of the 'Full Pitcher' pub in Ledbury, later switching to being a window cleaner in the same town where he also helped run a local junior team.
At Everton Ernie played 12 times, scoring 3 goals. At Coventry, where he is in the Legends Wall, he scored 45 times in 140 games, none more famous than the Donkey Kick. He tells the story when he and Willie Carr came off after the match that all that Noel Cantwell said “Well that worked, why didn’t you try it earlier”!!!
Ernie was known at all of his clubs (and outside) for having a great sense of humour, always joking and laughing. It is a great shame that, in spite of his move to Everton to play with other England players Alf Ramsey never rewarded him with a full England cap. Ernie also tells us he was the first team hairdresser too! That shows some bravery on Wolves players part!
“Ernie” Roger Hunt scored the goal in my first match at Molineux - a 1-1 draw against Saints in March 1966. Ernie joined Wolves from Swindon where he’d started 10 years earlier and was due in fact to debut at the Dell but the manager (Andy Beattie) resigned that day so he sat and watched us go down 9-3. Once he got on the pitch though things improved and he had a terrific record as an inside forward with 35 goals in 82 appearances - an even better rate than today’s Frank Lampard! Ernie is also famous world wide for the “donkey kick” with Willie Carr when they both played for Coventry (after a short spell at Everton from September 1967 he went to the Sky Blues in March 1968). Ernie also scored the winner in the London Wolves’ first official match 
At Everton Ernie played 12 times, scoring 3 goals. At Coventry, where he is in the Legends Wall, he scored 45 times in 140 games, none more famous than the Donkey Kick. He tells the story when he and Willie Carr came off after the match that all that Noel Cantwell said “Well that worked, why didn’t you try it earlier”!!!
